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'Never spoken, but SANG' - Musab makes the news!
Posted: February 03, 2017
An autistic boy who has never spoken a word SANG for the first time – after taking part in a school music week.
Nine-year-old Musab Mohamoud, who has autism and complex learning difficulties, had only ever mumbled words and was classed as non-verbal – relying on the sign language Makaton to communicate. But the youngster left his parents, teachers and classmates stunned when he started to sing during a special music week at his school.
A group of students from the Venturers’ Academy, Withywood had been enjoying studying different ways of making music during the activity week. They had also written a special school song – The Venturers’ Academy song – as part of their studies.
Musab, of Barton Hill, worked hard to learn the song and left everyone stunned when he started to form the words used in the melody. He then amazed them even further when he performed the song alongside his classmates in the school hall – infront of a packed audience of more than 100 parents, staff and students – singing for the first time. He then went on to perform a solo of a song he had written himself during music week.
Now Musab is starting to form words properly – managing to say ‘good morning’ to staff when he arrives at class each day.
Academy principal Trystan Williams said:
"It was a truly incredible moment to see Musab and the others singing on the stage.
"During the music week we noticed that Musab, who is non-verbal and previously had only mumbled words, was starting to form words.
"To see Musab stand on the stage and sing for the first time was an utterly magical moment and probably the most uplifting in my 25 career of working with young people with learning difficulties.”
Research shows that the neural pathways in the brain for singing are different from those for talking.
Mr Williams added:
“Musab is now starting to repeat things back to us.
"Him singing is the first step in encouraging him to speak independently.
"We are now working to build on his confidence to use his voice and develop his neural pathways.
"What Musab achieved was inspiring to our other students and parents and proves that if we look beyond the disability, anything is possible.”
Musab lives with his six brothers and mum Saynab and dad Saeed in Barton Hill. He is a keen swimmer and enjoys playing hide and seek with his siblings.
Dad Saeed, a taxi driver, said:
“It was a very special moment when Musab sang.
“It was like magic.
“He used to hum along to CBeebies when it came on the television but the school concert was the first time we had ever heard him properly sing,
“He is now starting to sing along to other songs when he recognises them on the TV.
“We are hoping his love of music and singing will help develop his communication skills.
“We have seen a real transformation in him since he started at the Venturers’ Academy.”
The Venturers Academy – which is part of the Merchants Academy Trust and has the motto ‘Where Everything is Possible’- opened in September 2016 and has seen the number of students at the school on the autistic spectrum quickly grow.
“We thought what better way than bringing all our new students and staff together, than through song,” said Mr Williams.
“And that is when we decided to organise a music week.
“Little did we know what an amazing outcome there would be.”
The group of youngsters are now off on another exciting journey – to record their school song with West End Musical star and friend of music icon Robbie Williams, Jonathan Wilkes.
Mr Wilkes – a friend of academy principal Mr Williams – runs the Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts in Swindon.
Patrons of the academy include Robbie Williams and TV giants Ant and Dec.
The group will work with students at the academy to form a choir to record the song in coming weeks.
